Tal Bassline 101 v Air Iona: Sequencer?

[ghostwhistler]

Which one is best?

Not overall (I would probably go for the TAL because it can go poly, heresy I'm sure, plus assigning midi controller is easier with TAL as the Iona seems not to have anything outside of DAW automated for some reason).

But the Iona can do legato based glide and I don't think the Tal can.

It's not perfect, but that's what I'm interested in discussing. They are around the same price point (unlike the Softbube Model 82 which also requires ilok garbage, ugh).

[steffensen]

I generally don't like much of the AIR stuff, but the Iona is sounding spectacular!
They got the tone right in that one.

It's filled with stuff that makes it hard to use though. (imo)
Which is why TAL 101 might win between those two options, as it's very user-friendly.

[Echoes in the Attic]

The TAL does have legato slides. Just put the portamento on auto.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Tal also does last note priority by default (in both gate and gate+trig modes), which some others (Roland Cloud and Softube) only do on gate +trig mode, like the original hardware. Otherwise in gate mode it's low note priority, and low note priority is just stupid. But gate mode is the one you want for legato mode (not retriggering the envelopes).

Tal has some other cool tricks like the filter fm, which is awesome, 12db filter version, filter volume compensation, polyphony, mpe, a cool sequencer.

Some people love the tal sound, I don't like it as much as the Roland or softube personally. Not familiar with the Air one as I've got enough 101's.

I think the Roland Cloud one for it's sound and extra envelope for the amp. The the note priority thing means you need a utility to force last note mini before the plugin (Bitwigs has them natively, or M4L Midi Monopoly).

Softube is cool mostly because you can use it in Modular and make your own 101 with last note priority and another envelope or whatever else you want. iLok doens't bother me anymore, seems to work fine for computer hardware activation.

Then there's the D16 one too, which takes it even further with way more features.

Lots of 101s with different features!

[ghostwhistler]

I generally don't like much of the AIR stuff, but the Iona is sounding spectacular!
They got the tone right in that one.

It's filled with stuff that makes it hard to use though. (imo)
Which is why TAL 101 might win between those two options, as it's very user-friendly.

What makes it hard to use?

[ghostwhistler]

Tal also does last note priority by default (in both gate and gate+trig modes), which some others (Roland Cloud and Softube) only do on gate +trig mode, like the original hardware. Otherwise in gate mode it's low note priority, and low note priority is just stupid. But gate mode is the one you want for legato mode (not retriggering the envelopes).

Tal has some other cool tricks like the filter fm, which is awesome, 12db filter version, filter volume compensation, polyphony, mpe, a cool sequencer.

Some people love the tal sound, I don't like it as much as the Roland or softube personally. Not familiar with the Air one as I've got enough 101's.

I think the Roland Cloud one for it's sound and extra envelope for the amp. The the note priority thing means you need a utility to force last note mini before the plugin (Bitwigs has them natively, or M4L Midi Monopoly).

Softube is cool mostly because you can use it in Modular and make your own 101 with last note priority and another envelope or whatever else you want. iLok doens't bother me anymore, seems to work fine for computer hardware activation.

Then there's the D16 one too, which takes it even further with way more features.

Lots of 101s with different features!

I don't know how you do filter FM here, do you mean increasing the mod slider and setting the LFO speed to max? That didn't really do much. The TAL one, with the 24db option is probably harsher/harder/heavier, but honestly, the tone of the Iona is light years better IMO.

Both are good though

[Echoes in the Attic]

By the way the D16 Lush-101 seems pretty cool too - has 2 envelopes and 2 lfo's and the lfo's can key track and go quite fast, for fm uses on both oscillators and filter. Also has sync. I can't figure out of the lfo's are per voice or not though, and my trial is expired. There is a mono mode, which implies it's poly by default, however teh manual says something about that syncing lfo's across layers, which is confusing.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I don't know how you do filter FM here, do you mean increasing the mod slider and setting the LFO speed to max? That didn't really do much.

For TAL? There's a dedicated filter FM. You click the buttons for each osc shape above the box that says "Filter FM" which fm's the filter with that shape.

[ghostwhistler]

I tried a demo of it, but it's twice the price. Sounds good, I like d16 (one day I'll get the hang fo the Devastatar filter arrangements), but it's more money for features I'm not super desperate I need.

[kingtubby]

I don't know how you do filter FM here, do you mean increasing the mod slider and setting the LFO speed to max? That didn't really do much.

For TAL? There's a dedicated filter FM. You click the buttons for each osc shape above the box that says "Filter FM" which fm's the filter with that shape.

You also have to click and drag left to right on the box where it says 'filter fm' to increase the effect.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I don't know how you do filter FM here, do you mean increasing the mod slider and setting the LFO speed to max? That didn't really do much.

For TAL? There's a dedicated filter FM. You click the buttons for each osc shape above the box that says "Filter FM" which fm's the filter with that shape.

You also have to click and drag left to right on the box where it says 'filter fm' to increase the effect.

Yep, I should have mentioned that. The box is a slider. You can drag up and down too.

[ghostwhistler]

That filter FM is really good. Using it with the square wave produces a really juicy saw like tone.

I am torn now. Was Filter FM a function of the hardware?

I think Iona sounds better, but it doesn't have the different filter choices nor the FM thing.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I tried a demo of it, but it's twice the price. Sounds good, I like d16 (one day I'll get the hang fo the Devastatar filter arrangements), but it's more money for features I'm not super desperate I need.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ynthesizer

50 bucks. I'm considering it.

[voidhead23]

Have you demo'd both? That'd probably be the clincher. I think if you fundamentally find that Iona sounds better, that's the one you should pick, as I have found that features typically become subservient to sound. But if you end up going with TAL's Bassline, hit me up because I'm leaning strongly towards selling my license so you'd be able to save a few bucks.

[Echoes in the Attic]

That filter FM is really good. Using it with the square wave produces a really juicy saw like tone.

I am torn now. Was Filter FM a function of the hardware?

I think Iona sounds better, but it doesn't have the different filter choices nor the FM thing.

No it wasn't in the hardware.